


A different kind of dance

by Jad3w1ngs



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Bottom Armitage Hux, But not that slow I promise, Kylo ren has a potty mouth, M/M, Prima ballerina Hux, Slow Burn, Top Kylo Ren, contemporary dancer Kylo, not rated yet but probably M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2018-10-15 03:52:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10549628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jad3w1ngs/pseuds/Jad3w1ngs
Summary: Armitage Hux has worked his entire life to become the worlds most famous and respected Prima Ballerina. Now the First Order Ballet troupe has gained widespread renown but neither Hux nor his father will rest until he stuns the world with his groundbreaking new ballet. The problem is that a creative block has halted all progress on the ballet, and a mysterious and incredibly annoying tall, dark and handsome stranger is doing everything he can to distract Hux. Could Kylo Ren be his downfall or could he be the very thing missing from Hux's vision?





	1. Rise of the Prima Ballerina

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to my lovely Beta reader and best friend busyobsessing for giving me corrections and helpful tips for this fic.

“Again!” Hux clapped his hands to indicate for the music to be restarted, ignoring the almost inaudible groans from the rest of the troupe he positioned himself next to Phasma.

“”Hux, we’ve been through this routine at least a dozen times today; don’t you think they’ve had enough?” 

Phasma sighed as Hux simply glared at her instead of responding. Defeated she grasped his waist as the subtle notes of ‘Imperial March’ began to flow through the room.

——

Imperial March had been Hux’s debut performance with The First Order ballet troupe nearly two years ago. He had been in training to take up his fathers mantel as the lead Ballerino since he was 3 years old, rigorous training and perfectionism beaten into him every day of his life until he had become a machine of elegance and precision.

However when he had been introduced to Phasma - a formidable singles dancer - he had taken a chance and invited her into the troupe, a small act of rebellion that had blossomed into one of the closest friendships he’d ever experienced. So when Phasma had proposed that they secretly subvert their traditional roles, presenting Hux’s debut with him performing the main ballerina role, he’d agreed without hesitation. 

They had trained in private, under the not-totally-false guise of perfecting a unique performance that would make both Hux and Phasma’s first performance one to remember. Hux had never seen his father more proud than when his son had devoted every waking hour to ballet, which had also made his derision all the more severe when he watched Hux take the stage and perform Imperial March in a starched black tutu.

Thankfully Hux had only had to endure Brendols rage for that first night; his father had warmed to the idea as soon as the reviews had been released calling The First Order ‘unique’ and ‘pleasantly subversive’, every subsequent review raving about the troupes new Prima Ballerina. Of course Brendol played it off to the press as being his idea, saying that he hoped to usher in a ‘new era’ of ballet with less stringent gender roles. These ‘less stringent gender roles’ apparently didn't include appearance or storylines as his father demanded he grow his hair out and begin a different workout routine to better fit the traditional aesthetic of the Prima ballerina.

Not that Hux could complain too much, since his first performance the popularity of The First Order had skyrocketed, they’d been booked solid for the past two years, traveling the world and winning award after award.  
——

“Okay that’s enough for today.” Hux scrubbed a hand over his face in exasperation before turning to face his collected dancers. “I want you to keep in mind that the winter showcase is in two weeks; you know this routine, you’ve danced it a hundred times.” He took a deep breath, watching with almost grim satisfaction as a few of the newer dancers flinch at his anticipated outburst. “But I promise you personally.” Instead of shouting as his father did when he was angry, Hux had a tendency to become cold and quiet, which Phasma had said was infinitely more terrifying, “if you do not start taking this seriously, you will never make it to that stage.”

He hadn’t quite meant it to sound like he was going to go on some kind of killing spree, but the effect was immediate and he took immense pleasure in the response. 

“Dismissed.” He barked.


	2. Why'd it have to be lobster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux has a meeting with his father and it goes as well as could be expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry in advance if anyone wants a reliable update schedule for this fic because I can promise you that it aint gonna happen. Also I have no idea how many chapters this is going to be so please bear with me.

 

Hux checked his appearance for probably the 6th time in as many minutes since sitting down, knowing that as soon as his father showed up every inch of him would be scrutinised like a private in the military. The door slammed open and he stiffened unconsciously, back going ramrod straight as he watched Brendol Hux march into the restaurant.

“Evening Armitage.” Brendol said, stopping at the small, two person table, his tone clipped and cold as always. He brusquely waved away a rather terrified waiter before sitting down and fixing Hux with a level stare.

“Evening Father.” Hux responded, hastily tucking a loose strand of hair back into his tight ponytail, lest his father see it. In an odd juxtaposition, despite demanding that he grow it out Brendol had always made his disdain for Hux’s long hair very clear.

“So why have you called me here tonight? I assume it’s not to tell me that you’re behind schedule.”

Hux tried not to bristle at the barely concealed jab, he could swear that his blood pressure always rose at least 20% every time he was in close proximity to his father. “No, we are still on track for the winter showcase, we will be performing Imperial March as planned. I simply wished to inform you that Leia Organa has split our performance space in half to allow her sons ‘contemporary’ dance troupe to practice.”

Brendol ‘hmphed’ angrily but didn’t comment as another waiter had walked meekly up to their table to take their order. Brendol ordered lobster for the both of them, having seemingly forgotten that Hux was allergic to seafood, and shooed the waiter away before turning back to his son. “Nepotism.” He spat pulling out his phone and punching a few buttons before holding it to his ear.

Hux shifted in his seat, Brendol was glaring at him as he waited for whoever he’d called to pick up as though it was Hux’s fault that Leia had a son.

“Organa.” Brendol barked into the phone. “Why have I just been informed that your sons so called ‘dance troupe’ is invading The First Orders practice space? You may be in charge of the dance hall but I will not stand for Nepotism, which before you say anything is exactly what this is. You cannot convince me that you truly believe that all that flailing around your son and his friends do is comparable to The First Order.”

Hux sighed and took a swig of the water in front of him, the irony of his father berating another parent about preferential treatment not lost on him. He watched silently as Brendol began practically foaming at the mouth at whatever Leia had responded with, he hadn’t exactly expected this meeting to be a heart-warming catch up with his father but he had hoped for an actual discussion. As Brendol continued to argue with Leia at a steadily increasing volume Hux began to feel a pair of eyes on him. He glanced around the restaurant, not surprised that his father was drawing attention. After a quick survey his eyes landed on a rowdy group of people around his age in a dark corner, gathered around a large table loaded with empty drink glasses and mountains of food.

One member of the group stood out from the rest of them, mainly because he was staring directly at him, dark eyes boring into his own. The stranger didn’t seem put off by the fact that Hux had spotted him staring and instead grinned, placing his chin on his hand and continuing his appraisal. Hux coughed uncomfortably and returned his attention to his father as he finished his heated phone call.

“So, Armitage.” Brendols attention was now firmly focused on his son, his previous anger returning to the quiet simmer that constantly hid below the surface, as the waiter placed their food down in front of them. “I hear that you are still working on your own ballet. I would have hoped that you would be done by now. What was it called again?”

Hux quickly swallowed his mouthful of food, having decided that suffering through a swollen larynx was preferable to pointing out his fathers mistake. “Starkiller. And yes I admit that i’m currently behind schedule with it, although I am hoping to devote all of my time to finishing it once the winter showcase is over.” There was no way he was going to admit that he was completely stumped, even to himself. He’d hit a serious hurdle and after months of staring at blank notebook pages, listening to every piece of classical music in his home and developing a repetitive strain injury from repeating the same 5 moves, he hadn’t made any progress past the opening scene.

Brendol huffed but thankfully let the topic drop after that. “Well, Lady Organa has agreed that her sons troupe will not interfere with your schedule so you should be able to finish and practice enough to perform it for the summer tour.”

The statement almost caused Hux to choke on his mouthful of lobster, or that could have been his rapidly swelling throat. There had been no question or room for failure in what Brendol had said so he didn’t respond past a silent nod.

——

“Millicent, i’m home.” Hux croaked as he kicked his front door shut. He hadn’t quite made it to his car quick enough for the epi-pen he stowed in his glove compartment to work and instead had had to text Phasma to take him to the hospital. One round of high-dose adrenaline and a severe lecture from the nurse later he was now able to breath regularly again, even if his throat still felt like he’d just given a blowjob to a cactus.

His large ginger rescue cat came trotting into the hallway, already meowing for food. Hux dropped his bag to the floor with a warm smile, Millicent was one of the few creatures he ever genuinely smiled in front of. Ever since he’d found her cowering under an old pizza box on his way home from another one of his fathers ‘pep talks’ she’d been the warm mooring in his often cold and disjointed life.

“Let's get you some food shall we?” He whispered as he lifted Millicent into his arms and carried her into the kitchen. “Preferably something without fish in it.”

——

Just for reference here is long haired Hux (god dammit Gleeson why you got to be so cute)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. A different kind of dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux finally comes face to face with Leia's son, who asks him to an impromptu dinner. Hux accepts and immediately regrets that decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not been beta read so it you find any errors please let me know :) also I hadn't intended to make Kylo such a potty mouth but I can't seem to stop him from swearing so we're all just going to have to live with it.

Hux rose up slowly from his final warm down stretch, opening his eyes as a relaxed sigh fell from his lips. He glanced over to where Phasma was leaning against the far wall of the dance studio talking to one of his newer dancers, Rey. Well talking might be an understatement, she was more flirting openly with the poor girl who looked about ready to faint under the intense attention she was getting. Plasma caught his eye and began walking over to him after throwing one last wink to Rey, the smaller woman knees buckling slightly as she went to her bag.

“Do you want me to help you lock up?” She asked once she reached him.

Hux shook his head with a small smile. “No i’m perfectly capable, you should go out with the rest of the troupe.” He sent a pointed look to Rey, the girl turning bright red when she noticed she’d been caught staring. “Go easy on her though okay? She’s a good dancer and i’m worried you might give her a heart attack.”

Phasma gave an easy laugh. “Sure thing Hux. Though a heart attack isn’t what i’m planning on giving her. If you know what I mean.” She winked again, this time at Hux who scrunched his nose up at the insinuation.

“I think even the CD player knows what you mean Phasma, gross.”

Another laugh as the blond smacked him heavily on the back, almost knocking him off balance. “Sorry Hux, didn’t meant to offend your little virgin ears.”

Hux glared at her. “Careful Phasma, I could make you lock up after all.”

Phasma held up her hands in surrender and began to back up, her smile never faltering. “To late Hux, you already said you’d do it. But I take it back, I take it back.” She finally turned away and swung her arm around Rey’s shoulders. “See you on Monday Hux.”

Rey murmured a similar goodbye as she was steered out of the door, her face burning even hotter.

——

Hux locked up the studio once he got changed out of his rehearsal clothes and began making his way towards the small office that the hall manager Leia Organa called her own. He stopped short however when he heard raised voices coming from the open door.

“I don’t care what you say, I ain’t fucking talking to him!”

“He’s your father Ben, he just wants to see you.”

Hux crept forward silently, thankful that his dance training had also given him the skills to sneak around unnoticed, a skill he’d had to use a bit to much in his childhood. He peaked around the door, not entirely sure why he was so intent on watching the rest of this argument unfold.

“See me?! He hasn’t wanted to ‘see’ me in five years, why the fuck’s he so interested now?!”

Leia sighed and was about to respond when she noticed Hux in the doorway.

“Something you need Hux?” 

Hux held up the keys to the dance hall by way of explanation, he at least had the decency to look embarrassed that he’d listened into a private family conversation. 

“Sorry to interrupt, I was just coming by to give you the keys. We’re done for the day.”

Leia smiled tightly and reached out a hand. Hux walked into the room at the invitation and dropped the keys into the womans waiting hand.

“It’s not like you to lock up Hux.” 

Leia placed the keys on the desk she was currently sat on, an unspoken question in her voice as she crossed her arms.

Hux shrugged. “The rest of the troupes been working hard and they wanted to blow off some steam…” He trailed off when he became aware of a pair of eyes on him, the intensity of them familiar. He looked over and found himself coming face to face with the same dark stare that had been trained on him in the restaurant a few days before. “…the least I can do is let them from time to time.”

“Well that’s very considerate of you.” Leia said, amusement evident in her voice before she cast a look over to her son. “This is Ben, my son. Ben, this is Armitage Hux the…”

Ben interrupted her with a snide grin, his posture instantly leering. “Right, the Prima Ballerina of The First Order.” 

Hux rolled his eyes but didn’t respond past that, instead he nodded at Leia and began to make his exit. “Have a nice weekend Leia.”

He was halfway down the hallway when he heard Leia give another angry shout at her son, telling him to come back.

“Wait.”

Hux glanced over his shoulder once he realised the call was meant for him, not slowing his footsteps as he watched Ben jogging to catch up to him, the mans longer legs meaning he reached him within a few strides. Ben grinned once he reached him, the snideness gone now.

Hux raised his eyebrows questioningly. “Do you want something Organa?”

Ben stuck out a hand. “Ren.” He said.

“Excuse me?”

“Not Organa, not Ben either, that just what my mother calls me. Names Kylo Ren.”

Hux frowned, taking the proffered hand and giving it a quick shake. 

“Kylo Ren?”

Kylo nodded, placing his hands on his hip before inclining his head towards the exit as he spoke again. “Lemme take you out to dinner.”

“Excuse me?” Hux said again, feeling slightly like a parrot as Kylo continued to grin at him.

“Well you said you’re troupe went out so you’ve got nothing to do tonight and I figured you’d be hungry.”

Hux bristled at the implication that he had no social life, not that he did but that wasn't the point, and readjusted his bag on his shoulder. 

“No I don’t think so.”

He made to walk off again but was stopped by a large hand on his shoulder as Kylo stepped in front of him. The dark haired man crossed his arms, using his broad shoulders to block Hux’s exit.

“Come on man, I need a good excuse to ditch my fucking father.”

Hux raised an eyebrow, but after a moment he nodded. He may be too much of a coward to go against his own father but he wasn't about to stop someone else from doing so. 

“Fine.”

Kylos smile was back and Hux wondered how long into this dinner he would get before he got the urge to wipe that smug look off of his face.

“Great, come on black swan.”

Okay so they weren’t even going to make it to dinner. Hux sighed and reluctantly followed after the other man into the cold evening. 

“Hold on a second I just need to put this in my car.” Hux gestured to the bag on his shoulder before walking over to his small black Mini. “Where were you planning on going?” He asked as he pulled his red scarf from his back seat, the last thing he wanted was to catch a cold right before the winter showcase, especially due to the whims of a man he’d just met.

“I know this great place, it’s just down the road from here.”

Hux nodded as he buttoned his blue peacoat a little tighter. “Well do you want to drive or should I?”

Kylo gave him a bemused look. “We’re walking.”

“We’re what?” Hux stared at the man in shock, his breath ghosting out in front of him. “It’s got to be at least -8 degrees out.” The dancer shivered as he spoke as though to further make his point.

A chuckle came from the other man, who Hux now realised was just wearing a long sleeved turtleneck and jogging bottoms. “Come on, like I said it’s just down the road from here, and besides I don’t have a car.”

“You don’t have a car?” Hux huffed, quickly tiring at how off-kilter Kylo kept making him, but he guessed the other man was just crazy. Anyone who changes their name to something so ridiculous had to be at least slightly mentally disturbed. “How did you get here then?”

Kylo shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets, finally seeming to feel some of the chill in the air. “I ran. Let’s get going.” 

——

“So why are you so intent on not seeing your father?” Hux asked, trying to take his mind off of the fact that he could no longer feel his feet, ‘right down the street’ his ass.

Kylo snorted and scuffed his shoe along the pavement as they walked. “Fucker drops by every 3 years or so to act like he gives a crap. I decided a while ago that I wasn’t going to sit around just to be at his beck and call for the rest of my fucking life.” He looked over as Hux let out a hum of agreement. “Pretty sure you know what it’s like, you’re dad didn’t look like the warmest son of a bitch if you know what I mean.”

“You wouldn’t be wrong.” Hux answered. “However my father is the only reason that I am where I am today.”

The taller man scoffed. “Don’t give me that shit.”

Hux’s eyes blazed as he glared at his companion. “Do not project your own insecurities onto me Kylo Ren. My father may not be as emotional as others but he is still a good man.” He placed emphasis on the mans name in an attempt to highlight how ridiculous he thought it was.

“A good man? Sure, it certainly looked like it when he didn’t give a crap that he sent you into anaphylactic shock.” 

Having no come back to that Hux glowered and finally said. “Where is this place you were talking about? You said it was close by and we’ve walked nearly half a mile.”

Thankfully Kylo let the subject go and gestured behind Hux. “We’re here.”

——

Hux shucked off his coat, thankful to finally be inside someplace warm. Surprisingly the restaurant Kylo had taken them to was nice and cosy, and just smart enough that Hux didn’t feel out of place in his shirt and slacks. He’d expected to be taken to some sort of dive bar, someplace that fit more with Kylo Rens ‘biker-emo' aesthetic. A young waitress led them to a small two person table in the corner of the restaurant and took their drink order.

“I’ll have a jack and coke.” Kylo said with a charming smile that left the waitress blushing and caused Hux to roll his eyes. 

“Anything for you Sir?” She asked as she handed Hux a menu.

“Just a water is fine thank you.”

“Jesus Hux live a little.” Kylo threw an arm over the back of his chair and smirked at the man currently glaring at him.

“A water is fine thank you.” Hux repeated and the waitress nodded before walking off.

Kylo held his hands up in defeat. “Whatever man. You know thats a major stick you have shoved up your ass Hux.”

“So i’ve been told.” He muttered before opening his menu and proceeding to ignore the other man until the waitress came back for their order. 

“I’ll have a large cheeseburger with extra fries. And what boring, salad based meal would you like?”

Hux ignored the other man and ordered a chicken and avocado salad, only partially as a ‘fuck you’ to Kylo. 

Kylo rolled his eyes. “I was only kidding about the salad Hux. You can’t seriously like that shit.”

Hux huffed again, he was pretty sure he’d doubled his lung capacity from this interaction alone. “I could say the same to you. You are a dancer right? You should take better care of your body.”

The other man laughed in response. “Being a dancer is exactly why I can get away with eating whatever I want. I just burn it off anyway.”

Hux didn’t respond and they lapsed into a somewhat comfortable silence until he felt Kylo kick lightly at his shin in an attempt to get his attention.

“You know, I saw you.” 

“Saw me when?” Huh responded, giving Kylo a slightly more vicious kick in return causing the other man to let out a loud shout just as the waitress returned with their food.

Kylo gave the woman an apologetic look as he took his plate, and Hux hid his smirk behind his glass of water.

“I mean’t I saw you when you first performed ‘Imperial March’. I was in the audience.” 

Hux paused at that. “Oh. Well what did you think?” 

Kylo shrugged. “It was fucking fantastic, but you know that. It was a great fuck you to your father as well, can't believe he tried to pass it off as his idea.”

Hux couldn’t help but laugh in return. “I would like to return the compliment but I have yet to see one of your performances, contemporary dance isn’t really my métier.” He couldn’t help but notice how Kylo perked up at the word ‘yet’.

The taller man grinned, his mouth full of hamburger, which he thankfully swallowed before speaking again. “Well you’re in luck, my knights and I have a show tomorrow night. I’ll get you tickets if you want.”


	4. A Knight out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux agrees to go to Kylos show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is once again un-beta'd so if i've missed any spelling mistakes etc please let me know. 
> 
> Also just a warning for homophobic/transphobic slurs in this chapter.

Hux tangles his fingers through Millicents soft orange fur as he waits for Phasma to pick up the phone. He knows he’s probably waking his friend up, what with it being 8:30 on a Saturday, but he’d been awake for 2 hours already and after going on a run, having a shower and putting a load of washing on he’d quickly become restless. He tried to shift slightly, attempting to get some of the feeling back into his leg without disturbing Millicent to much, just as the phone finished ringing.

“Hello?”

Hux blinked, that definitely wasn’t Phasmas voice, not that he was surprised. 

“Good morning Rey, would you mind waking Phasma up for me?”

The dancer couldn't help the smirk spreading across his face as Rey sputtered down the phone.

“Oh my god Hux…I mean Sir…I mean…yeah she’s right…”

“Hey Hux, You do realise what time it is right?”

Hux chuckled. “Good morning to you too Phasma. I take it you had a good night.”

Phasmas answering laugh was downright evil and for a second Hux almost felt bad for the woman sharing her bed.

“Oh you have no idea Hux.”

“I’m pretty sure I have some idea, but please don’t go into any details.”

Phasma laughed again. “Don’t worry boss, I have no plans to tell you that I made my little lady here come 7 times last night, or how flexible she is.”

“Phasma!” Both Hux and Rey shouted at the same time causing the other lady to cackle madly.

“Anyway what do you want?” Phasma asked after catching her breath and calming her bedfellow down.

“Oh, yes.” Hux responded, his revulsion at imagining his best friend having sex causing him to briefly forget the reason why he called. “I was just phoning to tell you that I met Leias son last night.”

“Oh?” His friend didn’t seem particularly interested, in fact it almost seemed like she was falling back to sleep.

“Yes and you’ll never guess, he’s the same guy that was staring at me in the restaurant.”

“huh so he’s a creepy little shit as well then.” Plasma yawned.

Hux snorted before continuing. “He’s odd i’ll tell you that. He invited the both of us to his showcase tonight, which is actually why I called you.”

There was a pause on the line and Hux almost thought he’d lost signal when Phasma spoke again. “I guess there’s no harm in checking out the competition. How long did you talk to him for exactly? It’s not like you to make friends quickly.”

Hux shifted uncomfortably, for some reason it was only just dawning on him that it might be strange to agree to go to dinner with someone he just met. “Well actually.”

He could almost hear Phasma perk up on the phone. “What happened?”

“I sort of went to dinner with him?”

He didn’t like the fact that he could picture exactly what kind of smile Phasma was currently sporting, especially when he heard a quiet ‘what’s going on?’ from Rey.

“If that’s the case then we’ll definitely have to go to this showcase. I have to see this man for myself, make sure he’s good enough for you.”

Hux rolled his eyes and slumped back into the sofa causing Millicent to jump off of his lap in a huff, glaring at him as she resettled herself on a nearby armchair. “It was nothing like that Phasma.” He muttered despite knowing that it was pointless.

——

Hux scowled at his reflection before pulling his long hair back into a tight bun at the base of his neck. His doorbell rang a few seconds later, interrupting his personal scrutiny.

He sighed and walked the few paces from his hallway mirror to the door, where Millicent was waiting patiently for whoever it was to be let in. Hux opened the door and gestured for Phasma to come in. The young woman was dressed very similarly to him, in dark trousers and a pale button-up shirt.

“Evening Hux, hey Milli how are you you little beast.” She bent to scratch Millicent between the ears, smiling as the ginger cat rubbed up against her leg with a loud purr. 

Hux crossed his arms uncomfortably as Phasma straightened up and looked at him. “You know that we don’t have to go to this right?” 

“Getting cold feet already Hux?” 

Phasma turned back around in the doorway and stepped into the cold evening air, which was when Hux realised that she wasn’t wearing a coat. He let out a groan as he followed her.

“You as well? Am I the only one that feels the cold anymore?” He asked. “Why aren’t you wearing a coat?”

Phasma laughed. “It’s in my car mum.”

——

They drove to the address that Kylo had given him in comfortable silence, that was something he’d always liked about Phasma, hanging out with her was easy. He’d never felt the need to pretend to be anything than what he was.

“This the place?” Phasma asked as they pulled up outside of a small, nondescript building.

Hux looked down at the tickets in his hand, re-reading the address written on them. “I believe so. We are early so maybe that’s why there’s no queue?”

Phasma nodded and pulled away to find a place to park her car. By the time they had made their way back to the dark building, that Hux was beginning to think looked more like the setting of a shady drug deal than a dance space, there was a group of young people gathered around the doorway. Hux paused for a second as he took in their appearance, they were all dressed in black, some with Knights of Ren shirts and hoodies on as though they were going to a concert rather than a dance recital, most of them had multiple piercings and at least a few had tattoos that he could see peaking over the collars of their shirts.

Phasma didn’t seem phased, probably as none of the group even came up to her shoulder, the oldest looking no more than 18, as she strode up to the group with a charming smile. 

“Excuse me, is this where the Knights of Ren are performing tonight?”

The closest one to her, a boy of around 15 with dyed blue hair, gave her a snide look. “You’re here to see the Knights of Ren?” He said with a sarcastic lilt to his voice as the others around him started to snicker.

Hux rolled his eyes and raised the two tickets in his hand. “Yes we are, and i’m guessing we have the right place.”

Another boy from the group snorted as he looked Hux up and down before turning back to Phasma, who he could tell was already starting to get annoyed. “Yeah your girlfriends right, the Knights of Ren are performing here tonight. But if I were you I wouldn’t bother coming in, Kylo Ren’s not going to like a couple of fags in the audience.”

Having grown up as a ballet dancer Hux had dealt with his fair share of homophobic assholes, he’d developed a pretty thick skin, as had Phasma but neither of them were that used to dealing with groups of teenagers, especially ones that didn’t seem in the least put off by Phasmas intimidating presence. 

However before they had a chance to retaliate Hux felt a presence behind him and heard a familiar deep voice. 

“And how the fuck would you know what Kylo Ren would like?” 

Hux turned to see Kylo smiling tightly at the group of fans, anger burning in his eyes. 

The kids paused slightly, probably knocked off balance by the fact that someone who looked very similar to them wasn’t siding with them. Finally the first kid spoke again, his cocky tone lessened slightly.

“Come on man, you can seriously think it’s okay for some rug muncher and her pre-op girlfriend to be hanging around here?”

Hux saw something dangerous flash through Kylos eyes and rested a hand on his arm just as the man was about to take a step forward. Kylo turned to look at him briefly and smiled as though to reassure Hux that he wasn’t going to do something stupid.

“What I don’t think is okay is a group of shit-head kids harassing people for no god damn reason.”

The second kid scoffed and few of the girls with them giggled. “What the fuck ever man, I bet you haven’t even seen the Knights of Ren before, fucking poser.”

Hux couldn’t help but laugh slightly at that, a sentiment that was obviously echoed by Kylo as the taller man looked back at him. Kylo gave him a quick wink before striding past the group of kids and banging loudly on the door.

“You’re right, i’ve never seen the Knights of Ren performing before. You know why?” 

Before anyone could answer the door flew open and an angry looking woman stepped out, her glower fixed on Kylos grinning face.

“For fucks sake Kylo do you know how late you are?! And why the fuck have you come this way, get in here!”

Hux couldn’t help the slightly evil, smug grin that formed on his face as he watched the group of fans almost falling over themselves once they realised they’d been talking to Kylo Ren.

“Hey Tana, I just wanted to make sure that Hux wasn't lost.” 

Tana finally stopped glaring at Kylo in order to transfer her glare to Hux.

“Well fine he’s here, you’ve checked. Now get your ass inside and get changed.”

“Sure thing.” Kylo was still grinning and was about to make his way inside the building when he seemed to change his mind. Stepping back outside he wrapped an arm around Hux’s shoulders and bought him to the front of the line, Phasma following close behind.

“Just one thing, can you tell Kamna, they’re on the door tonight right? Anyway tell them not to let this group in.” He gestured to the kids behind him, now standing slack jawed in the queue that had formed since Hux and Phasma had first arrived. “I don’t want bigots in the audience.” 

Tana nodded silently, her expression darkening impossibly further as she faced the now crestfallen fans. “I’ll tell Kamna to blacklist them shall I?”

Kylo laughed. “Perfect.” He waited a beat as the group turned to look at him before pressing a kiss to Huxs cold cheek. “I’ll see you after the show?” He asked quietly against his hairline, but still loud enough for the kids to hear.

“Uhh, sure?”

The other man gave his shoulder a squeeze before finally disappearing inside.

——

“What I don’t get is that if they were such big fans then why didn’t they recognise Kylo when he showed up?”

Hux shrugged as they took their seats, the inside of the nondescript building appeared to be a remodelled pub, with a distinct 1920’s New York speakeasy theme. They’d sat at a small table far enough away from the large stage and dance floor set in the back of the room that Kylo wouldn’t be able to see them as he performed, but still close enough that they had an unimpeded view of the performance. 

“Maybe he wears a mask or something, wouldn’t put it past him to do something that stupid.” He mumbled.

Phasma let out a quiet laugh just as the lights dimmed. 

A short man stepped onto the stage, a bright spotlight settling on him. “Please welcome tonights performers, the Knights of Ren.” He scuttled back off stage just as the opening notes of a base guitar filled the space, drowning out the shouts and cheers coming from the crowd. This was already proving to be a much more lively affair than any of the First Orders recitals.

“Hmm i’ve never heard this cover before.” Plasma murmured as a woman voice joined the heavy guitar and drums.

“I don’t know this song.” Hux replied, any response from Phasma was cut off as the Knights of Ren took to the stage, all dressed in black. “Jesus, I was right.”

Each member of the Knights of Ren was wearing heavy metal helmets that completely covered their faces, paired with long flowing black robes that disguised almost any distinguishing features of the dancers, however despite this Hux could clearly tell which one was Kylo. Kylo Ren moved with a kind of chaotic energy, power and strength rippling through every limb as he moved around the stage to the heavy beat. Hux couldn’t say if he liked the piece or not, it was so different from everything he’d been bought up believing was ‘good’, there were no flowing lines, no rigid, elegant poses, no running narrative from what he could tell. But there was a spellbinding energy to everything that was happening, Hux couldn’t tear his eyes away and as the song came to an end he found himself wanting the dance to continue. Thankfully another equally loud rock song came on and the group began moving again, this time accompanied by glowing glass rods that spun and moved as though they were an extension of the dancers bodies.

As the show began drawing to a close Hux found himself coming out of a kind of trance. He sat forward suddenly as he remembered what Kylo had asked him outside, for some reason every fibre of his being was thrumming with a kind of nervous energy and he felt an urgent desire to not see Kylo until he could get his thoughts back in order. He stood up and motioned for Phasma to follow him.

“We’re leaving.”

Phasma looked puzzled but followed him out anyway.

“Any particular reason why you’re running away?” She asked once they found themselves in the relative silence of the street. “Or why you look like you’re about to be sick.”

Hux glared at her. “I’m not running away and I feel fine. I just have nothing to say to him.”

Phasma snorted but began walking with Hux back to the car. “He’s not going to let this go you know.”

“You’re probably right, but for now I just want to go home.” 

——

For reference the song that the Knights were dancing to that Hux didn't recognise was Halestorms cover of ‘Get Lucky’.


	5. A dark force

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux has a breakthrough with Starkiller and Kylo crashes rehearsals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to Aridette from Tumblr for beta-reading this chapter for me. X

Hux had spent the entirety of Sunday holed up in his house trying to figure out exactly why he’d had such a strange reaction to Kylo's performance. After a restless night and an unproductive morning, he’d finally given up and had instead decided to try and focus on his own ballet. Surprisingly, as soon as he had spread out his various notes he was hit with a wave of inspiration and by the time Phasma rang him at 4 p.m. to ask how he was, he’d written a brief storyline for Starkiller and had begun working on fleshing out the first act.

“So, have you stopped freaking out yet?”

“Yes, Phasma. I’m fine, and I wasn’t freaking out.” Hux huffed, although Phasma's playful tone had prevented him from being too offended at the jab.

He heard Phasma chuckle from the other end of the line before she spoke again. “Sure. Anyway, I was just calling to ask if I could get a lift to the hall tomorrow? I popped a tyre after I dropped you off last night.”

Hux couldn’t help but smile at the weak excuse. He knew Phasma had been calling to check on him, but he didn’t mention anything besides confirming that he would pick her up.

——

By the time Monday morning had come around Hux had managed to put the events of Saturday night to the back of his mind, and was instead excited to tell Phasma about his advancements with Starkiller. 

He pulled up in front of Phasma's large townhouse and, not wanting to step out into the cold winter morning until he absolutely had to, honked the horn twice to let her know that he was there. She must have been waiting by the door because it swung open almost before the second honk. Phasma hurried down the steps, her grey cape coat flying behind her as she went.

Phasma slid into the passenger seat and passed Hux a travel mug filled with tea.

“Morning Hux, thought you might need this before we start today. The last rehearsal day is always a bitch.”

Hux couldn’t help the dry chuckle that escaped him at that. Phasma was right, everyone would be on tenterhooks today and he wouldn't stand for anything but perfection before the winter showcase.

“You can say that again,” he muttered as he set the car into motion, “and thank you for giving me back my travel mug. I don’t remember leaving it at your place.”

“That’s because you didn’t. I stole it the last time I was at yours.”

——

As usual, Hux and Phasma arrived at the hall well before the rest of the dancers. It was a habit that they’d gotten into before their debut, allowing them time to plan new moves or make changes before the training day fully starts. Today, as they started their warm-up stretches Hux began to explain the plot of Starkiller.

“The ballet will follow the story of a rising star as they try to make their mark on the world, and just when they’re about to reach the highlight of their career an alluring, dark force captures them. They fall under the dark force's spell and end up giving their life to it. However, just when it looks like the dark force will take over, a new star rises and that's when the curtain will fall.”

Phasma had stayed quiet during the explanation, listening intently as she stretched against the barre.

“That sounds like a great start, Hux. So you’re playing the rising star, obviously, and I’m guessing that I should play the dark force opposite you? Because I’m not sure that would work.”

“I agree. So no, you won’t be playing the dark force. You’ll be the partner that is rising with the star and is trying not to lose them.”

Phasma nodded. “That sounds much better. So, who do you have in mind for the dark force? And the new star?” she asked, directing the question to Hux’s back as he bent to touch his toes.

“Hmm, I have some ideas for the new star. One being your new girlfriend.” Hux glanced up at his friend with a smirk.

Phasma grinned back just as Finn and Poe, two of the more recent additions to the First Order, walked into the hall. 

Hux straightened and gave them a nod before turning back to his partner. “As for the dark force, I currently have no idea. We’ll need to hold auditions. I do know that they need to have a volatile kind of force about them, though. You know, something dark and chaotic.”

“Speaking of dark and chaotic; looks like you have a visitor.” Phasma jutted her chin towards the door with a smug smirk.

Hux turned with a roll of his eyes but froze when he spotted Kylo. Damn, that was a lot of tattoos. Kylo leant against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his wide chest as he fixed Hux with a dark look. Not that Hux saw, he was too busy staring at the myriad of tattoos covering Kylo's arms and chest, disappearing beneath his black tank top.

“Told you he wasn’t going to let it go.”

Hux was about to respond when Kylo began walking over to them. He drew himself up to his full height, ready to try and defend himself should the other man demand an explanation.

“So, I looked for you guys after the show,” Kylo said once he got to them, hands now going to his hips. 

Hux opened his mouth but nothing came out. Thankfully before he could start looking like a fish Phasma stepped in. 

“Yes, sorry about that. Hux didn’t feel well so we left. But we really enjoyed your performance.”

Kylo's expression softened and his stance instantly became less aggressive. “Are you okay? It wasn’t because of those assholes, was it?”

Hux looked down. “No, I’ve had to deal with worse than that before. I’m not sure what was wrong with me but I’ve recovered now anyway.”

“Kylo?”

The trio turned at Rey's happy shout, and Hux watched Kylo break out into a large grin. “Hey, cousin.”

Rey practically skipped over to them and jumped into Kylos arms. “Dad told me that you’d moved back here.”

Once Kylo had put her down, Rey seemed to remember where she was and blushed brightly. “Oh, sorry Mr Hux, this is my cousin Kylo. I haven’t seen him for nearly 2 years.”

“We are already well acquainted, Rey,” Hux said with a small smile, a smile which quickly turned into a smirk as he added, “and after the events of Saturday morning I think just Hux will do fine.”

Rey’s blush deepened until Hux was sure her face had begun to glow and she looked a bit faint as she began to stutter what Hux assumed was another apology. He finally took pity on her and gestured for her and Phasma to warm up with the other dancers.

“What happened on Saturday? You know, other than my awesome dancing.”

Hux snorted. “I don’t think I’m the right person to say. You can ask her yourself.”

Kylo shrugged before stretching his arms above his head in a long yawn. “Well, I came here to find out why you left early and I guess I did. Also, I know that this is your last practice day before the winter showcase so you’re probably planning on training for all of it. But you’ve also got to eat so I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch with me later?”

“What is this obsession with you and I eating together?”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Kylo said with a grin before he began making his way out of the hall again, “I’ll come get you around 1ish.”

Hux let out a groan but didn’t reply past that and instead turned to his collected dancers. “Okay troupe, today is the last chance we have to practice the ‘Imperial March’ so I won’t accept anything other than perfection.”

“Yes, Sir,” the group chorused in unison.


	6. Open auditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux begins the casting for Starkiller and Kylo continues to make his presence known.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again Aridette on Tumblr for Beta reading this chapter for me.

As anticipated, the winter showcase was a huge success, and Hux gave the whole troupe a day off to celebrate. At least that was the excuse he used. Despite his breakthrough over the weekend Hux hadn’t managed to come up with anything past the original concept for Starkiller. He decided to spend the day working on finalising the first act so he would at least have something for his dancers to perform during the auditions he was holding later that week. 

He arrived at the dance studio around 9 am and was surprised to see Kylo there already. The other man was leaning against the wall of the studio, scuffing his foot against the ground. Hux shrugged his dance bag over his shoulder before making his way over to him.

“You’re here early, I assumed that you don't normally get out of bed until noon.” 

Kylo looked up, squinting a little in the morning sun. “Oh hey, I was hoping you’d show up soon. Mum still refuses to give me a key to this place, says i'm not trustworthy or some shit.”

Hux didn’t respond, instead he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Not waiting to see if Kylo was following him, he made his way through the studio, flicking on lights as he went.

“Rey told me the troupe had the day off today. I guess you didn’t give yourself the same luxury.”

Hux shucked his coat before he began digging around in his bag for a pair of pointe shoes. “I have work to do before everyone comes in for auditions. But you must have known that otherwise you wouldn’t have been waiting for me to unlock the door.” He sat down primly on the floor as he slipped the shoes on. Looking up at where Kylo was still stood in the doorway he added. “Where are the rest of your troupe anyway?”

“Oh, we’re not practicing today. Kamna and Rila both have their birthdays today so the troupe has gone on a little trip.”

“And they didn’t invite you?” Hux asked from his position on the floor, where he had begun stretching, resting his head against his right foot.

Kylo snorted and finally moved into the room. “Nah it’s not that. You ever been a third wheel on someones date before?”

Hux nodded and moved on to the other foot.

“Well, try being a 7th wheel on a birthday date.”

Hux stared at him for a moment as he tried to comprehend what Kylo was telling him before promptly turning bright red. That was one of the things he hated about his fair complexion, it always gave away his embarrassment so easily.

“Oh, well I can see how that could be awkward. So why are you here today then if you’re not practicing?”

“Like you said, I figured that you would be here practicing alone and I thought I’d come keep you company.”

Hux finally stood, stretching his arms above his head. “Why are you so insistent that I need company all the time?” 

“Fuck, can’t a guy just come and hang out with you? I mean if you need someone to go through the steps with then I can help.”

Hux relented and the two began running through more warmups before Hux walked him through what he had so far. They didn’t end up doing much dancing that day, most of it was spent talking and debating on some of the finer points of the ballet before Kylo convinced him to once again go to dinner.

——

The next day Hux and Phasma set up in the dance studio at 7:30 like normal, waiting for the rest of the troupe to turn up. Phasma had made a CD ready for the audition filled with filler music similar in tone to what Hux wanted for the final ballet, and they were listening to the first track when Finn walked in.

“Good morning Finn, you’re here earlier than usual,” Hux said, signalling for Phasma to turn the CD player off.

Finn dropped his bag in the corner with a shrug. “I heard that we were auditioning for the new ballet today so I wanted to be prepared.”

Hux smiled at the comment just as the door opened again and the rest of the troupe filled in. “Well, looks like you weren’t the only one, but I appreciate the effort.”

Once the dancers had settled down Hux began to outline Starkiller. “Now, as many of you will have assumed, I will be playing the main role with Phasma playing the original love interest role. That leaves the main positions of the dark force, the rising star, and the two main guards up for grabs. Today we will be holding auditions for those main parts, you are all welcome to audition for whichever parts you want but I have a few personal recommendations that I would like to put out there first.”

There was a moment of quiet murmuring amongst the rest of that dancers. Hux had never made requests for certain dancers before. Hux let them talk for another few seconds before clearing his throat loudly. 

“Okay, firstly Rey.” 

The small dancer let out a noise of surprise but stepped forward nonetheless.

“Now I know that you are one of our newest dancers but I have seen your potential and I want to urge you to audition for the rising star role.” 

Rey nodded and stepped back.

“Finn, Poe. You two have been working very well together so I think you would be a good fit for the two main guards.”

The two male dancers looked equally as surprised as Rey had but nodded as well.

“Of course that doesn't mean that the rest of you shouldn’t audition. And remember even if you don’t get a main role I expect you to put 100% effort and devotion into whichever role you are given.”

The day ended with Rey, Finn, and Poe being awarded the positions Hux had recommended them for. However, much to Hux’s annoyance, they still hadn’t found someone to fill the most important role beside Hux’s.


	7. There's always gotta be a catch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux finally finds someone to play the Dark Force and Kylo has some conditions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the major lack of any updates, my life has been pretty hectic lately. I won't make any promises about regular updates from now on but the good news is that I have the rest of the plot thought out so it shouldn't be too long.

“You have got to cheer up Hux.”

Hux glared at his partner as the rest of the troupe filed out of the hall, it was the end of their third training day and he’d still hadn’t found someone to play The Dark Force. It was really starting to get to him and he’d been taking it out on his dancers, putting them through drill after drill.

“Why should I? We’re at a standstill without the Dark Force and there is absolutely no one here capable of doing that role. At this rate we will never be ready in time for the premier and I do not plan on having to tell my father that.”

Phasma shouldered her bag with a huff. “I understand your frustration Hux but i’ve already told you, there is one guy who would be perfect for the role.”

“And i’ve told you. There is no way that Kylo Ren would be good enough to fulfil that role, he doesn’t have the form or the training for it… what’s wrong?”

Hux turned at the pointed look Phasma was giving him and inwardly swore as he saw Kylo glowering at him from the doorway.

“Well who’s to say that I would even agree to do your stupid ballet anyway.” Kylo hissed as he stalked over to them.

“I’ll leave this to you.” Plasma whispered, far to smug for Hux’s liking, before she practically ran out of the studio.

Hux drew himself up to his full height, which was still at least 3 inches shorter than Kylo. He was determined to not be intimidated by this man, even if he was currently exuding an incredibly intimidating aura.

“Excuse me? Stupid ballet? I’ve been working on this for the past 2 years! And I stick by what I said. You are not classically trained, and this is a classical piece. I mean can you even do pointe?”

Kylo crossed his arms, mimicking Hux’s position. “No I can’t.”

“Then there is no point in you even auditioning.” He responded, trying not to smile at his own accidental pun.

“Are you fucking serious?” Kylo let out a long sigh, some of the tension dispelling as he shook his head with a quiet chuckle. “You are such a fucking nerd.” He ran a hand through his long hair and took a step back. “Look, maybe stop being a control freak for a moment and listen to me. Maybe you’re having so much trouble filling this role because it wont work with a traditional ballerina.”

Hux paused as Kylos words sunk in, he hated to admit it but he’d been having similar thoughts recently. “You…might actually have a point there.”

“That’s not another ballet joke is it?” 

“No it isn’t.” Hux replied with a small chuckle as he made his way over to the CD player and switched it over to the song that he’d picked for the crescendo of Starkiller. He turned back to see Kylo grinning at him. The taller man held out his hand, his grin growing even wider when Hux took it and turned to face the floor-to-ceiling mirrors.

Kylo placed his hands on Hux’s shoulders and whispered in his ear. “Close your eyes and trust me.”

Hux froze at the feeling of Kylo standing so close to him, feeling his heart suddenly beating in his ears. After a brief moment of internal panic he took a deep breath and followed Kylos order. He was a trained dancer, there should be no reason for him to be this nervous about being in close proximity to another person.

Kylo ran his hands slowly down Hux’s arms, lifting them so that they were parallel to the floor, resting atop his own arms. “Up.” He murmured, supporting Hux’s slight weight as he rose to pointe. He gently moved the ballerina around in a circle before suddenly lifting him above his head.

Hux gasped, automatically keeping his form ridged as he was held aloft with one hand, he glanced towards the mirror as inspiration suddenly struck at the sight of Kylo holding him so easily. “Drop me.” 

“What?”

“Drop me.” Hux repeated, locking eyes with Kylos reflection. Kylo seemed a little unsure but nodded slowly. With a heft he pushed Hux upwards into a spin.

Hux felt his heart pounding as he rose before almost immediately plummeted towards the ground. He squeezed his eyes closed once again as he felt his previous trust fly out of the window and braced for impact. When the impact didn't come however he opened his eyes again and found his face mere inches from the ground. Kylo had caught him just before he’d hit the floor, his strong hands grasping Hux’s ankle and upper arm.

Kylo placed him back on his feet, surprisingly gently. “Was that what you had in mind you fucking maniac?”

Hux rubbed at his upper arm as he waited for his heart rate to return to normal, Kylos grip had been unforgivingly tight and he was certain he’d have a bruise there tomorrow. “Yes, exactly what I had in mind.” He turned the CD player off and ran a hand over his hair, checking that it was still in its tight bun. “Now this may just be the adrenaline talking but I have to admit that I think you would be the perfect fit for The Dark Force.”

“Is that you’re way of saying that you were wrong?” 

The smaller male glared at Kylos smug look but decided to swallow his pride for the good of the troupe and grit out. “Yes, I was wrong. Would you please consider playing the role of The Dark Force in my ballet?”

“Sure thing Tidge.” Hux bristled at the unflattering nickname but forced a smile onto his face as he thanked the other man, part of him already regretting his decision. “On one condition.”

Damn it, there had to be a catch. “And what condition would that be?” Hux asked warily, knowing that he’d probably say yes to anything now that he’d found the perfect partner.

“You have to let me take you to dinner.”

Hux stared at the other man in confusion. “That’s hardly a difficult condition we go out to eat together all the time.”

Kylo crossed his arms, his grin growing wider. “No, not like a regular dinner. You have to go out with me on a date.”

“A d-date?” Hux felt himself turning red, where the hell had that come from.

“Yup, a proper romantic as fuck date. And you have to wear your hair down as well.”

“That’s technically two conditions but fine.”

Kylo paused, seemingly unprepared for such an easy victory. “seriously?”

“Yes. But i’m only agreeing to one so i’d advise you to pick the day wisely.” Hux said before stuffing his clothes into his bag and quickly leaving the studio without another word. Hux practically sprinted to his car and locked himself inside where he proceeded to have a minor panic attack. Kylo Ren had just asked him out? He’d had absolutely no indication that the other man even liked him beyond a casual acquaintance. 

Taking a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down he pulled out his phone and called Phasma. He thrummed his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel as he waited for her to pick up.

“Hux?”

“Phasma!” Hux practically shouted before coughing briefly to compose himself. “Sorry.”

“Are you okay? Did something happen? He didn’t beat you up or anything right?”

“Uh well, yes. I mean no. He didn’t beat me up but yes something happened. I found someone to play the Dark Force.”

Phasma almost audibly perked up at the news. “Oh that’s brilliant Hux. Who is it?”

“…Kylo Ren.”

He winced at the ‘I-told-you-so’ laugh that Phasma let out. “There’s one other thing…he only agreed to do it if he could take me out on a date.”

There was a long pause, during which Hux began to wonder if the line had cut out. “Phasma?”

“…what did you say?”

“I said yes of course. It was the only way to get him to join the ballet.”

“Well it’s about damn time. I was beginning to think he was too chicken shit to ever ask you out.”

“Wait what?”


	8. A perfect Pirouette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the date of Starkillers Premier comes closer, Hux starts to get more and more tetchy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for how log it’s taken me to update this. Life happens and I sort of lost my passion for this piece. It’s back now though but I can promise when the next chapter will be up.

It had been two months since Kylo has officially joined the ballet, his chaotic and irrepressible energy had turned out to be exactly what the troupe had needed, and Starkiller was now a fully realised show. 

Costumes had been made, sets had been painted, the troupe had worked relentlessly, often 8 to 10 hour days. And still Hux wasn't happy. The premier of Starkiller was now only a few days away and every full rehearsal that they went through was still missing something. Someone wouldn't hit their mark, the emotion wasn't there when it should be or a lift wouldn't go perfectly and it was causing him to be even more uptight and bitchy than usual.

"One more time. Come on now, get your acts together, you know these steps." He practically yelled before muttering to himself. "You'd think we were a bunch of god damn amateurs."

Kylo moved to the side of the hall as Hux went into his beginning solo piece. He looked over to Phasma who had leant against the wall next to him. The tall lady stood tensely waiting for the moment when she would join Hux on the floor.

"I get that we're running out of time and all but there's only so much everyone can do right? Is he always this much of a hard-ass when a show is coming up?"

Phasma squinted at him. "You have met Hux right, he's never not a hard-ass. He's not going to let this go until it's perfect." She said as she pushed off of the wall and gracefully moved to the centre of the hall.

Kylo let out a quiet groan before refocusing on the rehearsal. Poe and Finn had moved into the middle of the hall to bracket Hux, and the rest of the troupe had begun their backing movements. He waited for the change in the music that would signal his entrance, and almost missed it as he got lost in the story unfolding before him. Something was different with this run-through, he watched as Phasma lowered Hux to the floor, her lines perfect, not missing a beat. 

He stepped forward and grabbed the ballerina, spinning him in a perfect pirouette. The rest of the rehearsal went by in a blur. It was like something had suddenly clicked, they were working together as a team, the entire troupe was in sync, losing themselves to the movement, becoming the characters that they were playing. 

\--

Hux let out a breath as the last beat of the music faded out and Kylo placed him back on his feet. Was he loosing his mind or had that just gone flawlessly? Hux opened his eyes, he had no idea when he'd closed them, and turned to face his dancers. All of who were waiting nervously for his opinion.

"That was perfect." He practically whispered, feeling his face split into the most genuine smile he'd had in years. 

The rest of the troupe gave out a cheer, clapping each other on the back and hugging. 

"Take the rest of the day off, but be under no delusions. I want you here at 7 sharp tomorrow, we are having a full dress rehearsal and I want it to be just as flawless as this was."

There was a chorus of agreement and the dancers all began to pack their bags and file out of the hall, some of them practically running as though they thought that Hux might change his mind.

Phasma walked over and patted Hux on the shoulder. 

"Good idea Hux, they need a bit of a break. I'm sure it's clicked now, we'll be a massive hit. I'm sure of it."

"Don't get cocky Phasma." Hux replied, although his continuing smile contradicted his words and he waved his friend off happily.

Hux walked over to his own bag and had begun to remove his shoes when he realised that Kylo still hadn't left, or even said anything since his little speech. He turned around, intent on asking Kylo's opinion on the rehearsal, but he nearly jumped out of his skin when he realised he was face to face with the taller man.

"Jesus Kylo, don't sneak up on me like that." 

He huffed, taking a step back to put some space between them.

"Sorry Tidge."

Hux paused, he'd gotten used to the nickname that Kylo insisted on using, what stopped him was the quite tone to the dancers voice. Kylo never spoke that gently, at least not around him. 

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Kylo was staring at him intensely, much like the way he had the first time he'd seen him, all those months ago in the restaurant with his father.

"Tonight."

"Pardon me?"

"Our date. I was planning on waiting until the night of the premier to take you out but I want to do it tonight."

Hux coloured instantly. It had been so long since he'd made the deal with Kylo that he'd almost forgotten that he was supposed to go out on a date with him. The ballerina shrugged, trying to go for nonchalant, and failing miserably.

"Okay fine. May I ask why you've changed your mind? Remember that I only agreed to one date, you can't take me out now and then expect to be able to do so again at the premier."

Kylo smiled. "Don't worry I remember. You never know though, I could fucking sweep you off your feet and make you fall in love with me tonight."

Hux scoffed and turned his back on the other man, under the pretence of packing his bag, to hide his ever increasing blush.

"And to answer your question, it was because of how happy you looked. Made me fall in love with you a little bit more."

Hux nearly fell over at the confession, opting instead to sit down on the floor. He stared up at Kylo in disbelief. The other man just grinned at him and made his way out of the hall. Just as he reached the door Kylo looked back at him. 

"I'll pick you up at 8, and remember, you have to wear your hair down."


End file.
